Anne Abio
24 February 2008
opinion
Kampala — UGANDA is trying to control teenage pregnancies in its fight against HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections by promoting adolescent sexual and reproductive health services.
According to the 2006 World Health Organisation annual report, adolescent pregnancies are at 32% and teen mothers contribute 40-44% of the total maternal deaths.
Delaying pregnancies enhances chances of staying in school and has positive effects of increased education on the status of women, the ability to find well-paying jobs, as well as improve the welfare of children and families. Early marriages, which are attributed to cultural and religious beliefs, have led to an increased number of teenage pregnancies since many of the adolescents cannot negotiate the use of contraceptives due to religion, myths or culture.
As women's education levels increase, their desire to postpone marriage and childbearing increases. But the longer women delay marriage, the more likely they are to become sexually active before marriage. If women are to realise the benefits of increased education, they must abstain from pre-marital sex or access contraceptive services.
Many adolescents are physically immature, which increases their risk of suffering from obstetric complications. Teenage mothers face the risk of giving birth to infants who are premature or with low-birth weight. This reduces resilience and stamina that babies need to fight infections or trauma in early life.
Teachers should be provided with materials and be encouraged to carry out school-based education for adolescents before they begin to have sex since not all are able to stay in school. Starting sex education in lower grades will help those who drop out of school.
Health centres can be facilitated to provide youth-friendly services and promote outreach services to their respective communities. Policy makers should ensure that teens have access to contraceptives, voluntary counselling and testing services, and prevention services on a confidential basis.
Better support for teenage mothers can be achieved through helping them return to school.
The writer is a research assistant at the Population Secretariat
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